Todd McShay has Seahawks going center with their first pick in 2021

The Seattle Seahawks are going to pick Ethan Pocic’s replacement in the 2021 draft. At least, that is what ESPN’s Todd McShay thinks. And maybe they should. With no pick until late in the second round, Seattle isn’t going to likely find a left tackle to replace Duane Brown. Or even a right tackle to replace Brandon Shell. The guards are set for at least the next three years but center might be an issue.

If McShay is correct, the Seahawks will take Quinn Meinerz out of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Meinerz did not play in 2020 due to small schools not playing any or much of a schedule. But he dominated opposing players prior to that and during Senior Bowl week this year he was one of the most impressive players.

Meinerz also had an outstanding pro day in March where he showed good 40-yard speed (for someone who weighs 320 pounds) and quickness. One of the few knocks on Meinerz was that he may lack some athletic ability but this dissipated with what he did in March.

Seahawks drafting Quinn Meinerz should mean long-term success

Meinerz ran a 4.86 40 and this ranked in the top 99 percentile of all interior linemen, according to Pro Football Focus. Meinerz also showed quickness in his cone drill as well.

But, of course, what makes a great offensive lineman isn’t how fast he can run but how well he can block. Meinerz does his best work run blocking and sealing on the edge when needed. He swallows opposing defensive linemen and creates clean gaps. Meinerz can pass block too, but his lack of experience against high-level talent makes this area still a question mark.

Meinerz doesn’t lack for strength, though, and probably just needs an offseason of NFL weight training to get in good shape for the 2021 season. In fact, if the Seahawks do take Meinerz, he could be starting by the end of the season while Pocic, who just signed a one-year deal to return to Seattle, would become a free agent after the season.